Related Summaries

Sen. Dianne Feinstein, D-Calif., head of the Senate Intelligence Committee, says she is "open to considering" the House's version of legislation to curb the National Security Agency's bulk collection of phone data. Feinstein issued the statement after speaking with President Barack Obama, who is urging the Senate to support the measure. Senate Judiciary Committee Chairman Patrick Leahy, D-Vt., has indicated he will hold hearings this summer on a bill he introduced.

A report by a federal advisory board says the National Security Agency's data-collection activities are illegal and raise serious civil-liberties concerns. Separately, Sen. Rand Paul, R-Ky., says he will join a lawsuit that seeks to stop surveillance programs. Also, Claude Moraes, a member of the European Parliament, says the EU is likely to dismiss guarantees of asylum and security to former NSA contractor Edward Snowden.

The Department of Defense has cited one program that won't be closed in the event of a government shutdown: The NSA phone surveillance program, which is considered "necessary to support tactical and strategic indications and warning systems" under a 2011 plan. The program is under revision by the Senate Intelligence Committee, where a version supported by Sens. Dianne Feinstein, D-Calif., and Saxby Chambliss, R-Ga., is going into the markup phase for more controls and limitations.

The National Security Agency's surveillance programs have been the subject of some seriously misleading statements by officials and lawmakers, writes David Kravets. Among those caught telling whoppers, or at least misspeaking, were Sen. Dianne Feinstein, NSA chief Keith Alexander, Attorney General Eric Holder and even President Barack Obama.

The National Security Agency's collection of U.S. Internet and cellphone data has foiled "dozens of terrorist events," says NSA chief Keith Alexander, appearing this week at the Senate Appropriations Committee to speak about the recently revealed domestic spy programs. But Sen. Patrick Leahy, D-Vt., said the NSA's secrecy about the programs has not inspired confidence. "The intelligence community has told us that we obviously don't have the ability as simple senators to know anything as well as you do," Leahy said.